Apparatus for producing purifying reagents.



Patented July l7, I900.

w. m. JEWELL. APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING PURIFYING REAGENTS.

A umio med Aug. 25, 1899,

(No llodel.)

m: cams PETERS w. wom-uma. vusumamn '0 c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM M. JEIVELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING PURIFYING REAGENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 653,746, dated July 17, 1900.

Application filed August 25, 1899. Serial No. 728,447. (No model.)

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Be it known that 1, WILLIAM M J EWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of 111inois, have invented certain new and useful. Improvements in Apparatus for Producing a Purifying Reagent, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to apparatus adapted for the production of persulphate of iron by subjecting metallic iron to the action of sulphurous acid and then oxidizing the product; and it consists in a certain improved apparatus by which the formation of the sulphurous acid is promoted and the oxidation of the ferrous salt to the ferric state is facilitated and perfected.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the apparatus, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the oxidizing apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, 3 indicates a retort adapted to contain a sulphur-receptacle 4, said retort being provided with a removable cover 5, an air-inlet 6 at one end, and an outlet-pipe 7 at the other, the air-inlet and the outlet-pipe 7 being so arranged that air passing into said retort moves over the sul phur-receptacle and then out through the outlet-pipe. The outlet-pipe 7 communicates with a water-tank 8, which is open at the top to permit the escape of superfluous gases and is provided with a series of substantiallyhorizontal shelves 9, secured alternately at opposite sides of the tank, as shown in Fig. 1, thereby forming a sinuous passage for the water, which is introduced into the tank 8 at the top through an inlet-pipe 10 and flows downward over the different shelves 9 to the bottom of the tank. The shelves 9 are preferably provided at their edges with ribs 11, so that they are adapted to retain a certain amount of water on them.

12 indicates a steam-pipe which enters the outlet-pipe 7 and discharges toward the water-tank 8. The jet of steam entering through the pipe 12 not only causes the sulphurous oxide generated in the retort 3 to flow into the Water-tank, but it also promotes the combination of the gas with the water to form sulphurous acid.

13 indicates a pipe which is adapted to conduct sulphurous acid from the water-tank to an iron-holding receptacle 14. The iron-receptacle 14 is in the form of a drum mounted on trunnions 15316, both of which are hollow, said trunnions being supported by suitable supports 17, as shown in Fig. 1.

18 indicates a pulley mounted on one of the trunnions for rotating the drum let.

19 indicates a series of strips secured on the interior of the drum for the purpose of carrying up the particles of iron and effecting a more thorough intermingling of the iron and sulphurous acid, thereby promoting the solution of the iron.

As shown in Fig. 1, the trunnion 16 is flared and discharges the solution formed in the drum into a vertical pipe 20, which communicates with the lower portion of an oxidizing-tank 21.

' 22 indicates a pipe arranged in a vertical position in the tank 21, its lower end being supported in a suitable bearing-block and its upper end being supported by a transverse supporting-bar 23. At its upper end the pipe 23 is provided with a pair of curved pipes 24 25, arranged in a substantially-horizontal position and connected at opposite sides of its center with the pipe 22, as shown in Fig. 2,

so that the pipes 24 and 25 are in somewhat the form of the letter S. At their outer ends the pipes 24 and 25 are provided with funnels 26. At its lower end the pipe 22 is provided with across-head 27, which is a hollow pipe provided with perforations 28 for the passage of air. The perforations 28 at one side of the pipe 22 discharge in the opposite direction from those in the portion of the crosshead at the opposite side of the pipe 22.

29 indicates a pulley mounted on the pipe 22, near the upper end thereof, for rotating said pipe.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: A quantity of sulphur is placed in the receptacle 4 in the retort 3 and ignited, and steam is supplied through pipe 12. The sul phurous oxide generated in the retort is thereby caused to fiowinto the water-tank 8, passing up through the flowing water, resulting in the formation of sulphurous acid, the sulphurous acid passing from the tank 8 through pipe 13 to the drum lat, which is supplied with a quantity of scrap-iron and is rotated by suitable means. By the action of the sulphurous acid on the iron ferrous bisulphite is produced in solution and discharged through outlet 16 into the vertical pipe 20, passing through said pipe to the bottom of the oxidizing-tank 21. The ferrous bisulphite in the tank 21 is oxidized to form persulphate of iron by the action of air, which is introduced into the solution and thoroughly disseminated through it by means of the airpipe 22, which is rotated by suitable means in the direction indicated by the large arrows in Fig. 2, so that air is forced into the funnels 26, passing through pipes 24 and 25 to the vertical pipe 22, andis then discharged through the cross-head 27 into theiron solution.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the funnels 26 of the pipes 2a and 25 are in the same vertical plane as the cross-head 27, and the perforations 28 in the two ends of said cross-head are arranged oppositely to the funnels above them: The result of this arrangement is that the discharge of air from the cross-head is in a direction opposite to that in which the crossheadismoved. Consequentlytheperforations 28 are relieved of a part of the pressure of the solution, and the passage of the air is correspondingly facilitated. The action of the air on the ferrous bisulphite solution results in the production of persulphate of iron, as above suggested, which passes out through a discharge-pipe 30, communicating with the upper part of the tank 21.

I have described my improved apparatus as used for the production of persulphate of iron; but it will be understood that it is not limited to such use alone, as it may be employed for producing other chemical compounds, either from iron or from other substances, although it is especially adapted for the use described. Furthermore, the oxidizing apparatus may be used for intermingling or combining other gases and liquids than those described.

That which I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a snlphurous-oxide generator, an iron-holding receptacle, means for supplying water to said receptacle, means for conducting the sulphurous oxide from the generator to the water supplied to said receptacle, and means for aerating the resulting liquid, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a tank, a gas-pipe adapted to rotate therein, said pipe having perforations for the passage of gas into said tank, and a pipe arranged at an angle to said gas-pipe and having an opening at its outer end, said opening being radially arranged so that by rotating said gas-pipe gas may be forced into said tank, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a tank, a pipe 22 therein, said pipe being adapted to rotate and having a pipe 24: at its outer end, and one or more perforations in said pipe 22 for discharging gas into said tank, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a tank, a pipe 22 adapted to rotate therein, means for supplying gas to said pipe 22, and a discharge'pipe in said tank arranged radially with reference to said pipe 22 and having perforations which discharge the gas in a direction opposite to that in which the pipe 22 rotates, substantially as described.

WILLIAM M. J EWELL.

Witnesses:

O. H. J EWELL, JOHN L. JACKSON. 

